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Palm Coast

David Alfin, Palm Coast Mayor Candidate: The Live Interview

July 1, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 22 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. (© FlaglerLive)

David Alfin is a candidate for Palm Coast Mayor in the Aug. 20 primary. All registered voters in the city may cast a ballot in that non-partisan election regardless of party affiliation or location in Palm Coast.

Data Company Seeking Easements Discovers Flagler Beach Commissioners Won’t Be Cowed Into Submission

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The significant portion of Veterans Park in Flagler Beach that DC Blox, the data company, was seeking an easement for is demarcated by the sidewalk, going north toward the monument and State Road 100. (© FlaglerLive)

The Flagler Beach City Commission will not grant a data-center company a perpetual easement over almost a third of Veterans Park in the heart of the city as a landing point for undersea internet cables. The company was attempting to save money at the city’s expense. City commissioners explicitly called out the scheme, tabling the proposal until DC Blox returns with a feasible proposal to use South 6th Street as a landing site, without disrupting the city-owned parking lot there or compromising its future value to the city.

DeSantis Veto of Vacation-Rental Bill Opens the Way for Palm Coast Regulations with Flagler’s as Model

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 16 Comments

Some of Airbnb's current listings in Palm Coast, from an online screenshot.

Facing pressure, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the measure a bill that deregulated local control of vacation rentals, saying the proposal would create “bureaucratic red tape” for local officials. Now, Palm Coast has another chance to write its own vacation-rental ordinance, or at least craft some city-specific regulations. City Council member Theresa Pontieri said this morning she intends to open the way for just such a proposal, with caution, as residents increasingly complain of rentals.

Tiger Bay Straw Poll: Richardson Trounces Danko; Derek Barrs and Lauren Ramirez Take Schools, Alfin Hangs On

June 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Thursday's Flagler Tioger Bay Meet and Greet at the Palm Coast Community Center drew some 300 people and almost every candidate on the local Aug. 20 primary ballot. (© FlaglerLive)

Thursday’s Flagler Tiger Bay Meet and Greet at the Palm Coast Community Center drew some 300 people and almost every local election candidate on the Aug. 20 primary ballot. A straw poll consisting of some 225 votes yielded a few arresting results, such as County Commission candidate Pam Richardson’s trouncing of an absent Ed Danko, and a not-too surprising tight race for mayor in Palm Coast.

Secretive Data Company Getting Stiff Resistance from Flagler Beach Over Perpetual Easement at Veterans Park

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

DC Blox, a company planning to build a data center in Palm Coast, wants an easement over the northern segment of Veterans Park in Flagler Beach, beneath which it would "land" undersea internet cables. The city has issues both with the company's terms and its opaque methods. (© FlaglerLive)

DC Blox, the Atlanta-based data company working with Palm Coast to open a data center there, is about to face stiff resistance from some Flagler Beach City Commissioners as it seeks a permanent easement through Veterans Park, one of the city’s iconic treasures. Officials are not happy with the choice they’re being given at Veterans Park, the paltry, one-time compensation the city is being offered–$100,000 per cable landing–or the way DC Blox has attempted to keep negotiations out of the public eye, especially about money.

Flagler Tiger Bay Prepares for Largest Candidate Meet-and-Greet of Primary, Waving Off Fret Over Straw Poll

June 26, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Flagler Tiger Bay's meet-and-greet featuring almost all the local candidates in the August primary election follows in the tradition of similar events, like the former Chamber of Commerce's hob knob of 2018, above, at the Palm Coast Community Center. (© FlaglerLive)

As of Monday some 40 local and state candidates had confirmed attendance at Thursday’s Tiger Bay Meet and Greet, what is expected to be the largest election gathering of the sort for Flagler County and Palm Coast politics ahead of the Aug. 20 primary. The three-hour free event starting at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Palm Coast Community Center will include a voter-registration drive organized by the Supervisor of Elections’ office, and a straw poll, which one candidate is criticizing as a “sham.” He appears isolated.

Palm Coast Mayor Alfin’s Sudden Spate of City-Aided ‘Town Halls,’ 2 Months from Election, Raises Red Flag

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Mayor David Alfin at a town hall style meeting at Panera Bread in April. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin’s decision to hold weekly “Share with the Mayor” gatherings at the City Hall flagpole is drawing criticism from an opponent in the mayoral race and a request by the council as a whole for a legal opinion on the legality of city aided town hall style meetings in proximity to an election. Alfin defends the practice, saying he is continuing the practice of “Share with the Mayor,” in effect throughout his term, by other means.

Palm Coast Reels Back Talk of Firing Its Lobbyists as Southern Group’s Emissaries Deliver Veto-Proof Defense

June 25, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

Laura Boehmer and Oscar Anderson of Southern Group, Palm Coast's lobbying firm, in a screen capture from one of the firm's videos. Boehmer and Anderson appeared before the Palm Coast City Council this morning.

A presentation to the Palm Coast City Council today by its Southern Group lobbyists was a response to an inquisition, albeit an inquisition that, by the time the pair of lobbyists had sat down in person in front of the council, had already been sharply dialed down to a sort of Marriage Encounter session. The council critics’ aim was no longer to criticize or threaten dissolution but to learn, recalibrate and grow, especially as the lobbyists twice reminded them of Palm Coast’s record appropriation hauls of the last two years.

Palm Coast Council Approves Final Step for 51 Town Homes at The Hammock at Palm Harbor

June 24, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

A rendering of a town home at the Hammock at Palm Harbor, a project whose final plat the City Council approved last week.

The Palm Coast City Council last week approved the final plat for 51 town homes in The Hammock at Palm Harbor, a 15-acre subdivision on the south side of Clubhouse Drive, about 200 feet west of Palm Harbor Parkway. The new owners are marketing the town homes for $360,000 for a 1,181-square-foot three-bedroom and $427,000 for a 1,853 square-foot three or four-bedroom.

Flagler Beach Demolishes Any County Plan To Make Barrier Island Pay Higher Tax for Beach Protection

June 20, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 29 Comments

The rest of the county may love Flagler Beach a bit too much. (© FlaglerLive)

If the county plans any taxing method to pay for beach protection that taxes the barrier island more than it does the rest of the county, Flagler Beach will not sign off.  Four of the five city commissioners are opposed to any such plan, and the fifth is skeptical of the county’s approach. Flagler Beach is especially resentful of the county for even discussing various proposals, however preliminary, without having included Flagler Beach  in the discussions from the start. 

For 17th Straight Year, Flagler Schools’ Enrollment Fails To Grow Despite Continuing Population Surge

June 19, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 32 Comments

Flagler County's nine traditional public schools' enrollment ended the year pretty much where they started. (© FlaglerLive)

In spite of growth that added 16,000 new residents to the county in three years, in spite of Palm Coast, the county and Flagler Beach issuing certificates of occupancy for some 3,200 housing units in 2023 alone, and in spite of similar growth trends in 2024, Flagler County schools are simply not attracting enough students to reflect that growth. 

Palm Coast Takes a Step Closer to Utility Tax, But Only If Voters Approve in a Binding Referendum

June 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 26 Comments

An electric franchise fee could increase power bills by up to 10 percent in Palm Coast, but would require voter approval first. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council today took its closest step in 25 years toward a utility franchise fee, an additional levy that would raise your power bills by up to 10 percent. Public opposition has defeated such fee proposals four times since 2011. But the council is leaving it to the voting public to decide what the fee should be, or if there should be a fee at all. The fee must be contingent on a future referendum. And the referendum must be binding.

Seeing Record $82 Million Haul from State as Failure, Palm Coast Is on Brink of Firing Its Powerful Lobbyist

June 18, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 17 Comments

City Council member Theresa Pontieri is dissatisfied with Southern Group, the city's lobbying firm since 2017. (© FlaglerLive)

Disappointed by the performance of its lobbyist in Tallahassee despite netting $82 million in state appropriations this year, the Palm Coast City Council is on the verge of firing Southern Group, one of the state’s most powerful lobby firms. Council members spoke as if legislative appropriations were either the city’s due, or that securing them were a science that lobbyists know or don’t know. But that’s more fancy (or hubris) than truth in a whorl of politics, trade-offs and, in the governor’s case, often inscrutable vetoes. 

At ‘Monumental Groundbreaking’ for Beach-Rebuilding, Shovels of Praise, But Not a Word About Climate Change

June 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

Shovels against nature: the site of this morning's ceremonial groundbreaking. (© FlaglerLive)

Federal, state and local officials gathered at veterans Park in Flagler Beach under a broiling sun this morning for the groundbreaking of the $27 million beach-rebuilding project by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a project 20 years in the making. Officials exchanged heaps of praise, but a principal reason behind the project–climate change–was left unspoken in a state where the words are now banned.

Palm Coast Launches Swale Maintenance Pilot Program in P-Section, Along with ‘Progress’ Page

June 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 15 Comments

Swale rehab. (Palm Coast)

The City of Palm Coast announced a new pilot program by the Stormwater and Engineering Department aimed at improving swale maintenance across the community. This initiative targets specific problem areas by selectively regrading and resodding high spots in swales, providing solutions without the need for complete overhauls. This program is part of the city’s ongoing commitment to enhancing infrastructure and services for residents.

Palm Coast’s Mayor David Alfin and City’s Administrative Leaders Will Hold Town Halls

June 16, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Alfin and city staff.. From left, -Interim Manager Lauren Johnston, Chief of Staff Jason DeLorenzo, and Communications and Marketing Manager Shannon Martin. (© FlaglerLive)

The first Town Hall will be with Mayor David Alfin on June 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Palm Coast Southern Recreation Center at 1290 Belle Terre Pkwy. This event is free and open to the public. Attendees can ask questions and discuss issues that matter to them in an open forum. Complimentary coffee will be provided.

Historic Sweep: Flagler’s 5 Constitutionals Elected Without Opposition as Shelly Edmonson Wins Tax Collector’s Seat

June 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

flagler constitutionals reelected

Clerk of Court Tom Bexley, Tax Collector-Elect Edmonson, Property Appraiser Jay Gardner, Supervisor of Elections Kaiti Lenhart and Sheriff Rick Staly were elected without opposition today, the first time an entire slate of constitutionals managed the feat in memory. Edmonson will take over for Suzanne Johnston, who decided to retire after 20 years as the tax collector.

Lowering Speed Limits to 25 in Palm Coast Too Expensive, But City Considers Traffic ‘Humps’ in Neighborhoods

June 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 47 Comments

Mind your speed. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council is not interested in spending $1.6 million to lower speed limits citywide from 30 to 25 mph–it would cost that much to change all the signs–and is leery about certain “traffic-calming” devices, whether speed “humps” or traffic islands. But it will consider a plan that would leave it in residents’ hands to decide whether they want speed humps in their neighborhoods.

Amendment 5: I’m Homesteaded. I Don’t Need Another Perk To Deepen Inequalities and Hurt Local Governments.

June 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

amendment 5 homestead inflation florida

A yes vote on Florida’s Amendment 5 on this November’s ballot means that every year, the second of two $25,000 exemptions will increase according to the previous year’s inflation rate. The indexing is not only unnecessary–the Save Our Homes cap on taxes already does that–but it’s another pander that will deepen disparities at the expense of local governments, businesses, renters and agricultural properties, all of whom will have to make up for lost revenue. 

Humbling Flagler, DeSantis Vetoes Almost a Third of Local Projects, Including YMCA, Tourist Center, and All Bunnell’s Asks

June 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 31 Comments

Gov. Ron DeSantis with local county and city officials during a visit to Flagler Beach in late 2022, along with Reps. Paul Renner and Tom Leek. DeSantis vetoed almost a third of the appropriations Renner and Sen. Travis Hutson had secured for the county and its cities. (© FlaglerLive)

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed a $116.5 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, after vetoing close to $950 million in spending approved by lawmakers in March. The vetoes include $46.52 million from what had been a record $151 million in appropriations for Flagler County, Palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach, a heavy loss that dampens earlier hopes for a big haul.

For 2nd Time in 2 Months, Ethics Commission Finds No Validity in Complaint Against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin

June 12, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin. ethics commission

For the second time in two months, the Florida Commission on Ethics has dismissed a complaint against Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin, this one alleging that he had voted on land use items that benefited him and Don “Toby” Tobin, a friend and Realtor colleague of Alfin’s at Grad Living Realty.

Palm Coast Council Flirting with Easing Charter Restrictions on City’s Borrowing Capacities 

June 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 14 Comments

Eight years ago a diofferent council got a tour of the city's public works facility as the administration was making the case for a new complex. The city is still struggling to pay for that complex. Nick Klufas, right, then in his rookie year, is the only member who was part of that visit and who remains on the council today. It is his last year. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast faces mountains of needs, from stormwater infrastructure to roads to a public works facility, plus some wants like parks and a future sports complex on the west side. The city’s ability to finance those needs is limited. Its revenue sources are few and spoken for. Its charter places severe restrictions on borrowing. Now, coinciding with the city’s 25th anniversary, the Palm Coast City Council wants to explore ways to ease the charter’s restrictions on borrowing.

Did Palm Coast Council Agree To Condition Any Future Electric Franchise Tax Proposal on a Referendum? Yes.

June 11, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 5 Comments

Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko, who participated by phone today, insisted that the council had agreed by consensus not to consider an electric franchise tax in the future without putting the proposal to a referendum first. Some of his colleagues weren't so sure. But Danko was right. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast City Council member Ed Danko insisted during a discussion on the budget and revenue sources today that the council had agreed by consensus last year not to consider an electric franchise tax in the future without putting the proposal to a referendum first. Some of his colleagues weren’t so sure. But Danko was right.

Flagler County’s Beach Protection Tax: Right Idea. Wrong Execution.

June 7, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 42 Comments

beach protection tax

The county has the right idea: we need a new tax to pay for expensive beach protection, or we’ll lose the beach. But the county’s execution is hurried, the plan is poorly thought-out, it is riddled with holes and inconsistencies, and it has included zero public participation and zero preparatory discussions with other governments. That’s a recipe for failure, deservedly so: the county is taking the public and its sister governments for granted, if not punting to the cities to do the heavy lifting.

Expect Delays on Palm Coast Parkway Eastbound Near Hospital from Lane Closure on June 14

June 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | Leave a Comment

On Friday, June 14, 2024, the City of Palm Coast’s Stormwater & Engineering Department will be repairing a portion of the roadway near the new AdventHealth Palm Coast Parkway hospital, requiring an eastbound lane closure.

Sprawling Vacation Rentals Becoming a Nuisance to Palm Coast Residents. City’s Answer: ‘Our Hands Are Tied.’

June 6, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 49 Comments

A property on Fircrest Lane in Palm COast advertised as a short-term rental that can sleep 12 people. (Google)

As resident after resident complained about short-term renters next door–the noise, the partying, the traffic, the garbage, the unexpected–the Palm Coast City Council chambers Tuesday evening sounded more like a scene transplanted from the County Commission a decade ago, or legislative committees in Tallahassee every year since. But the legislature just passed a new law that forbids cities like Palm Coast from imposing stricter regulations on vacation rentals than they would on permanent residents.

Palm Coast Drainage Committee Holds 1st Meeting Amid Some Perplexity Over Ability to Accomplish More Than City Staff

June 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

drainage committee

Palm Coast government’s drainage advisory committee held its first meeting Tuesday afternoon at City Hall. There were two people in the audience, neither from Palm Coast. To say that the committee will find a way to address drainage problems more clearly, better, or beyond what the city administration has already done would be premature: even some of its members are “perplexed” as to the committee’s direction,

Countywide Burn Ban Issued as Drought Index Climbs and Firefighters See Uptick in Wildfires

June 5, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

The smoke isn;t that thick yet, but the drought index is worrying local fire authorities. (© FlaglerLive)

Flagler County enacted a burn ban effective 5 p.m. today (June 5) and declared a state of local emergency to do so. The ban remains in effect for seven days, and applies countywide, including in Palm Coast, Bunnell and Flagler Beach. 

For Flagler County, New Tax to Raise $7 Million a Year to Preserve Beaches Concedes Realities of Climate Change

June 4, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 9 Comments

flagler beach management plan

Monday’s milestone by the Flagler County Commission–seeking a new funding mechanism to rebuild and maintain the county’s 18 miles of beaches–was the culmination of a four-year process. It would put in place a method to pay for expected beach maintenance for decades as the county faces a new reality of rising seas and relentless erosion. Here’s how consultants arrived at the proposal, and what it would pay for.

Covenants May Be Hurdle to Palm Coast’s Plan for YMCA on Town Center Land Pledged for the Arts

June 3, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 10 Comments

In its better days: The amphitheater that used to be home to the Palm Coast Arts Foundation and the annual Jackson Symphony's Picnic and Pops concert. The stage and the venue have been ghostly in recent years. (© FlaglerLive)

As Palm Coast government plans for a long-awaited YMCA in Town Center, albeit without a pool for now, a covenant restriction requiring the land to be used only for arts and cultural purposes may stand in the way. It isn’t an immovable restriction. But to get around it, the city may either have to pay back some state grant money that helped build a stage there, or it would have to use creative–to not say Orwellian–maneuvering that would allow it to redefine Y spaces as an arts and culture venue.

Think Your Land Can’t Be Sold Without Your Knowledge? Palm Coast Lot Owner Found Out Differently.

May 31, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 28 Comments

The owner for eight years of a vacant lot in Palm Coast discovered recently that someone had put his lot up for sale without his knowledge--and the sale almost went through. It's a recurring scam most property owners are not aware of. (© FlaglerLive)

A Palm Coast property owner was shocked to fine that a lot he owns in the L Section had been put up for sale without his knowledge. It is now a common fraud that’s catching many property owners by surprise, that title companies are battling, and that the Florida Legislature attempted to address, but a bill doing so died in the last session.

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin Elected 1st Vice-Chair of River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization

May 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin at a recent town hall. (© FlaglerLive)

The City of Palm Coast announce today that Mayor David Alfin has been unanimously elected as the 1st Vice-Chair/Treasurer of the River to Sea Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) for the upcoming fiscal year, beginning on July 1, 2024. The position marks a significant step in regional transportation leadership and planning.

Palm Coast Government Will Award Forensic Audit ‘Education’ Contract to MSL, an Orlando Accounting Firm

May 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

Palm Coast Ciy Council member Nick Klufas put the brakes on a forensic audit, while there's been no evidence of fraud in the city. (© FlaglerLive)

As the Palm Coast City Council seeks an education on forensic audits–either to conduct one or to learn that it may be too prohibitively, unnecessarily expensive absent imperative reasons to do one–Palm Coast government intends to award the contract for such an education to Orlando-based MSL, P.A. The accounting company specializes in audits, including fraud and forensic audits, business, tax and financial consultancies.

Nearly $1 Billion in New Construction Raises Flagler County Taxable Values 12% Over Last Year, a Salve to Budgets

May 30, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

The percentage for 2024 is still a working number, which may increase or decrease slightly. It reflects values that apply to county government's calculations. Values in the cities and for the school board may be different. (© FlaglerLive)

“Humming along” is how Flagler County Property Appraiser Jay Gardner describes the year’s property values: powered by nearly $1 billion in new construction alone, $631 million of it in Palm Coast, taxable property values in Flagler County rose around 12 percent this year, and 13 percent in Palm Coast, about the same as last year. The estimates being finalized this week play a central role in local governments’ budgeting and taxing decisions.

Increasing Sales Tax Divides Palm Coast and Flagler County As Both Scrounge for New Revenue for Cops and Other Needs

May 28, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 27 Comments

Elected officials are all for more of them. But not necessarily if they have to pay for them. (© FlaglerLive)

Discussion of a possible increase in the local sales surtax sharpy divided opinions between the Flagler County Commission and the Palm Coast City Council, who were meeting jointly today to discuss funding for the sheriff’s office. The discussion divided the two bodies even within their own memberships, suggesting that any possibility of an increase is remote best this year, if that.

Palm Coast Residents Can Now Use an Improved City Government Customer Service Portal

May 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 2 Comments

palm coast customer service

The City of Palm Coast announced a new initiative aimed at enhancing the quality of interactions between citizens and city staff. In response to feedback from residents, the City is taking significant steps to ensure that every interaction meets the high standards of our mission: “Delivering exceptional service by making citizens our priority.”

Development Is Devouring the Tree Canopy. Palm Coast and Flagler Officials Say They’re Trying to Catch Up With Protection.

May 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 53 Comments

Trees and vegetation burned today on parts of the nearly 200 acres cleared of trees to make room for a 333-home subdivision called Sabel Preserve along Royal Palms Parkway in Palm Coast. (© FlaglerLive)

There was a bit of a disconnect today in a panel discussion by Flagler County’s five mayors and County Commission chair about how attractive Flagler County is to its residents and those who keep pouring in, and how quickly developments are razing swaths of tree canopy. They spoke of the importance of preserving the region’s quality of life, but also how the torrid growth rate is inevitably bringing congestion, and numerous developments, some of them–as with a 6,000-home plan in Bunnell–colossal.

Palm Coast Mayor Alfin Hints Against Rolled Back Tax Rate This Year, But Says ‘New Sources of Revenue’ Ahead

May 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 11 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin at today's "Meet the Mayors" forum at the Flagler County Association of Realtors. He was flanked by Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson and Sheriff's Chief Mark Strobridge. (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin today hinted that he may not be supportive of going back to the rolled back property tax rate this year as he was last year. He said there may be also be new, alternative revenue sources that don’t rely on the property tax. But he did not say what those would be except in the most cryptic terms: “Eco Dev.,” he wrote in a text, abbreviating the words for “economic development.” “I will share as soon as I can,” he added.

Palm Coast Planning for YMCA on Central Avenue in Town Center, Raising Questions About Arts’ Place

May 23, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 12 Comments

Palm Coast is planning for a YMCA on 12 acres in Town Center, at Central Avenue near the old stage of the Palm Coast Arts Foundation on one side and Town center Boulevard on the other. The sign to the right was planted there in 2012, when the arts foundation had (© FlaglerLive)

Palm Coast government is getting ready to build a 30,000 square foot YMCA on a 12-acre city-owned parcel on Central Avenue in Town Center, next to what used to be the Palm Coast Arts Foundation’s stage and a 5-acre parcel that had been dedicated to arts and culture. Plans at the moment do not include a pool. A director of United We Art, the organization overseeing arts development in Town center, fears picking that location for the Y may crowd out the city’s pledge for an arts center there.

264 Apartments Approved Across Imagine at Town Center, Near 300-Unit Complex, Raising Traffic Concerns

May 21, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

A rendering of what the HillPointe apartment complex will look like, with this view behind the buildings lining Town Center Boulevard. (HillPointe)

The Palm Coast City Council this morning approved plans for a 264-unit apartment complex on Town Center Boulevard, across from Imagine School at Town Center, and from a 300-unit high-end apartment complex the Planning Board greenlighted last August called The Legacy. The new units are expected to help reduce the shortage of apartments and possibly slow the rise in rental costs, which have been hurting working families and retirees who choose to move away from the burdens of home ownership.

Affordable Housing in Palm Coast-Flagler: Plenty of Ideas, Not Enough Political Follow-Through

May 17, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 18 Comments

Annamaria Long, executive officer of the Flagler Home Builders Association, speaking at the forum today at the Palm Coast Community Center. Other panelists included, from left, Maeven Rogers, Palm Coast administration coordinator, Bill Lazar, executive director of the St. Johns Housing Partnership, a non-profit, and Scott Culp, a principal at Atlantic Housing partnership, builder of affordable apartment complexes in 10 states. Ali Ankudowich, a technical advisor with the Florida Housing Coalition, joined the forum by zoom. The forum was hosted by Valerie Clymer, a mortgage loan officer who also sits on the joint Flagler-Palm Coast Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast Community Center was not the place to be this afternoon if you wanted to hear cheery answers and simple solutions to increasing the dismal stock of affordable housing in the city and the county. But it was the only place and one of the rare times in recent years where local governments–the county and Palm Coast–devoted a serious forum to explore difficult questions and realistic possibilities to bring more affordable housing to the region.

Flagler Pride Fest Cancelled Amid Turmoil as Organization’s Founder Resigns, Board Frays and Wagons Circle

May 15, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 8 Comments

The heart has gone out of Flagler Pride for now, the five-year-old LGBTQ non-profit that had brought the annual Flagler Pride Fest to Palm Coast's Central Park. (© FlaglerLive)

To the dismay of a following that had grown substantially over the years, what was to be the fifth annual Flagler Pride Fest at Palm Coast’s Central Park in a month was abruptly cancelled last week through a cryptic, short-lived Facebook post that was scarcely cleared up when what remained of the organization’s officials posted a not-entirely accurate statement attempting to explain the decision on Tuesday, and betraying infighting.

‘Housing Policy Forum’ on May 17 and ‘Housing Fair’ on May 18

May 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 1 Comment

housing forums

Housing officials from Flagler County and the City of Palm Coast are hosting two separate events on consecutive days – Friday, May 17, and Saturday, May 18 – to address different needs of the community.

In a Shift, Palm Coast Council Agrees to Leave City Manager Hire to Next Council, But Will Pick Search Firm

May 14, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 6 Comments

Palm Coast City Council members Ed Danko and Theresa Pontieri crafted a compromise approach to hiring the next city manager. Pontieri attended today's meeting remotely. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council today in an effortless shift from its previous intention to hire new city manager before the election agreed to let the new council make that decision. But it also agreed to help the process along by putting a search firm in place by late summer to get started on the work. The search firm they agreed to hire is Keller, Texas-based Strategic Government Resources, commonly known as SGR, the company that led Palm Coast’s city manager search in 2018.

Beyond Memorial Day: A Family’s Journey to Educate and Remember Fallen Heroes

May 13, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 3 Comments

Luke Stanford. (Stanford family)

Tim Stanford’s only son, Sgt. Luke Stanford, made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the Army. He had served a year-long tour in Iraq during the height of the war there, re-enlisted at the end of the tour and was serving as a member of a technical rescue company when he died. He was 28. The loss endures. For most families, it’s not the sort of loss that gets better with time. Amidst the struggle, the Stanfords have found some solace in their mission to educate the nation about the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Data Company Wants to Use Veterans Park to Land Undersea Cables; Flagler Beach Wants Appropriate Payment

May 10, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 36 Comments

Veterans Park is primarily a hub of people, events and leisure. A data company is hoping to make it, in part, a hub for undersea cables. (© FlaglerLive)

DC Blox, a data company planning a data center in palm Coast–its Florida subsidiary is called DC Orchid–is now proposing to run its undersea internet cable landing site through the north side of Veterans Park in the heart of Flagler Beach, after a proposal to do so at a South 6th Street location displeased city commissioners. The company is also willing to pay more than the one-time, $100,000 fee it had offered, per cable–a sum city commissioners found paltry.

That Color in Your Water Is Due to Low Rainfall and Palm Coast’s Use of Certain Wells

May 9, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 31 Comments

The City of Palm Coast is actively responding to the challenges posed by the current dry conditions, which have led to significantly increased water usage and heightened demands on our water supply. As a result, residents may notice a change in the color of their water, particularly throughout the summer months.

Congestion-Prone Stretch from Royal Palms Parkway to Town Center and Old Kings Road Will be Four-Laned

May 8, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 23 Comments

A frustrated driver wrote "Put a light here!" on the concrete barrier along Royal Palms Parkway at the intersection with Town Center Boulevard, a notoriously congested area at rush times. The city is planning to widen Town Center Boulevard to four lanes from that spot to Old Kings Road. (© FlaglerLive)

The Palm Coast City Council approved the first leg of a $4 million plan to redesign and widen the congestion-prone intersection of Royal Palms Parkway and Town Center Boulevard, the intersection of Town center Boulevard and Old Kings Road, and Old Kings Road from there to just south of Palm Coast Parkway. But it will be more than a year before anyone sees construction.

As Splash Pad Reconstruction Continues, Holland Park Playground and and Part of Parking Close a Few Days

May 2, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 7 Comments

What had been the deceptively blue and serene surface of the splash pad at Holland Park was excavated to install new piping and a new concrete pad. The concrete is to be poured next week. (Palm Coast)

The playground area and portions of the parking lot at Holland Park will close the first half of next week, from May 6 to May 8, to accommodate the continuing $3 million reconstruction of the splash pad at the park. Meanwhile, the city’s lawsuit against a slew of contractors is heading for a trial in late summer.

‘I Love You Mayor’: Palm Coast’s David Alfin Gets a Warmer Reception at Coffee Talk Than at Council

April 29, 2024 | FlaglerLive | 42 Comments

Palm Coast Mayor David Alfin this morning at his town-hall-style Coffee Talk with residents at Panera Bread. (© FlaglerLive)

Based on the pillorying he regularly gets from the floor at Palm Coast City Council meetings, David Alfin can look like a mayor more embattled than front-running barely three months from an August primary. Judging from this morning’s town hall-style “Coffee Chat” with Alfin at Panera Bread, where he was warmly received, reports of Alin’s demise may be premature. “I love you Mayor” isn’t something you hear at council meetings lately. It was heard this morning.

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